Best Low Maintenance Plants for Connecticut
Life is busy. Home landscapes that require time, effort and money to maintain may not fit your schedule or budget. Fortunately, with a bit of planning and know-how you can create a gorgeous landscape with with low maintenance plants that will create curb appeal and provide years of enjoyment.
Defining Low Maintenance Plants
Plants for a low maintenance landscape should not require excessive nurturing, watering, weeding, trimming or pruning. Invest in the right low maintenance plants for your Connecticut home now and enjoy more free time later. Look for plants that are hardy for USDA zones 5 through 7. Plants within those zones will survive Connecticut winters, thereby eliminating the need to replant. Plants that thrive in average to dry soils will need less water, placing them in the low maintenance category as well.
Native Plants
The National Audubon Society of Connecticut encourages the planting of native plants in your landscaping. A native plant is one that occurs naturally in the region or habitat. Native plants and regional wildflowers are ideal low maintenance options as they easily adapt to the local soil and moisture conditions, which allows for reduced watering and care.
Tall tickweed coreopsis is a tall native perennial that blooms from July to September. It needs dry to medium soil and enjoys full sun. Its bright yellow blooms will add cheer to any landscape. Spotted Joe-pye-weed is another native perennial that grows tall and flowers from July through September with light lavender flat-top blooms. This native plant is easy to grow and enjoys shade plus a moister soil.
Ground Covers
Ground covers are ideal low maintenance landscaping plants because their natural spread reduces the need for weeding, which can be a very time-consuming chore. Ground cover plants also help maintain their surrounding soil temperatures, reducing the need for watering. Look for grounds covers such as grey owl juniper, a non-flowering needle evergreen that also can be used as a hedge. It’s hardy for zones 2 through 9, requires full sun and does well in medium, well-drained soils. Other ground covers to consider are:
- Thyme (full sun, well-drained soil, aromatic)
- Hen-and-chicks (sun, drought tolerant and deer resistant)
- Ajuga (partial sun/shade, flowering, deer resistant)
Flowering Perennials
Perennials come back each year and many can be considered as low maintenance additions to your landscaping designs. Most perennials need to be deadheaded during their blooming season, but will thrive with minimal care if planted where they’ll receive the correct amount of sun or shade.
- Alstromerias (sun, well-drained soil, ideal for cut flowers, many color varieties)
- Bee Balm (partial sun, moist soil, ideal for herb gardens and attracting butterflies)
- Catmint (partial sun, well-drained soil, fragrant plant with attractive blue flowers)
- Daylilies (partial sun/sun, varying heights, colors and long blooming season)
- Jacob’s Ladder (partial shade, well-drained soiled, vibrant blooms, great for borders)
- Pansies (partial sun, ideal for window boxes and borders)
Grasses and more
Many ornamental grasses, such as blue fescue are low maintenance plants ideal for Connecticut conditions. Blue fescue needs only partial sun and is drought tolerant, deer resistant and even attracts birds. Another option is pampas grass, a perennial ornamental grass that grows to reach a statuesque 8 feet tall and is drought tolerant. It does best in zones 7 to 10 so it will thrive in Connecticut’s southern coastal region.
To keep landscaping and garden chores to a minimum consider more container plants and bordered planting beds. Containers are ideal for annuals such as geraniums, marigolds and petunias. Remember that it takes planning, design and imagination to create a low maintenance landscape that you will love season after season.
Contact Clean Cut Landscaping to transform and maintain your residential or commercial landscape.
